The Bad Guys: The 25 Most Incorrigible Imposters, Villains, and Killers Ever to Walk the Earth

What's in the book?

Learn about history’s greatest villains, including:

Bluebeard

John Dillinger

Al Capone

Guy Fawkes

Genghis Khan

And More!

Description

A deep, abiding passion for a modern-day tyrant, sociopath, or fraud might be cause for concern among the newshound's friends and family. But let the story be strange enough, and let enough time pass, and, suddenly, the subject becomes obsession-worthy: something to share at trivia night, to pore over at the library, or, as it turns out, to recommend to us.

Since starting our podcast, Stuff You Missed in History Class, listeners have written in to request countless villains, tyrants, and imposters, representing all eras of history and all corners of the world.

Sometimes the stories of these no-good characters turn out to be worse than imagined, like the nightmarish murders committed by the real Bluebeard, Gilles de Rais. Other times, though, the villains revealed a surprisingly human side, like the fierce female pirate Zheng Yi Sao's plans for a comfy retirement, or master thief Adam Worth's deep devotion to his family and his code.

This book pulls together the exploits of these historically bad and worse-than-bad figures into one collection, arranged into chapters we thought made sense. You'll find tyrants like Caligula with conquerors like Tamerlane; the questionably bad gangster Ma Barker grouped with mastermind mobster Al Capone; and folk hero criminal D.B. Cooper paired up with the charmingly fraudulent Princess Caraboo.

And if by the end you're not already losing sleep thanks to terrifying visions of the pirate Blackbeard with his beard alight, we've included some bonus content on creepy hotels and mysterious hidden passageways to kick off your next research obsession. Enjoy!

About the Author(s)

Raised on a steady diet of Technicolor musicals and library books, Cristen Conger always wanted to be a writer when she grew up. While working toward her journalism degree at the University of Georgia, she learned to avoid starry-eyed statements about childhood dreams and stick to hard facts. After graduating, Cristen decided she'd spent enough time chasing down REM band members in Athens and hitched up the road to Atlanta and HowStuffWorks.com. Childhood dream now fulfilled, she writes on a variety of topics each week and co-hosts the "Stuff Mom Never Told You" podcast with Molly Edmonds.
Jessika has traveled to 47 of the 48 continental United States -- New Mexico, you're the last one left, but she hopes to visit you soon. Of course, it's helped that she's lived all across the U.S. -- in Washington, New York, Wisconsin, Colorado and her current digs, Atlanta. There, she earned two undergraduate degrees from Georgia State University, one of which is in print journalism, but after spending some time in the newspaper biz, she decided the Web was where it's at.
Besides being a staff writer and blogger for HowStuffWorks.com, Jessika enjoys painting, expanding her vegetarian recipe repertoire, walking her cat and spending afternoons by the pool. She's also a junkie for modern American literature, although she pours over nonfiction books from time to time, too. As co-captain of the How-to Stuff blog, Jessika is always willing to explore fresh topics and try new tasks, getting down in the trenches so others can reap the benefits of what she's discovered.
Sarah Dowdey
Sarah is an editor at HowStuffWorks.com, where she also co-hosts the "Stuff You Missed in History Class" podcast. She studied English and history at the University of Georgia. When she's not paging through a book or leafing through a magazine, she likes walking in her neighborhood's many parks and traveling when she gets the chance. You can find Sarah on Twitter at@MissedinHistory and on Facebook at the official Stuff You Missed in History Class page.
Deblina Chakraborty
Before becoming the homepage editor at HowStuffWorks.com, Deblina studied publishing and writing at Emerson College and worked as a writer and editor in both Boston and Mobile, Ala. When she's not writing and editing stuff (and sometimes even when she is), she's usually daydreaming about her next travel adventure -- though you might also find her playing or watching soccer or adding to her collection of kung fu flicks. You can find Deblina on Twitter at @MissedinHistory and on Facebook at the official Stuff You Missed in History Class page.
Shanna Freeman is a freelance writer and former senior editor at HowStuffWorks. She holds a B.A. in English from the University of West Georgia.
After pitching articles on obscure medical conditions with a touch too much enthusiasm, Katie Lambert was made health editor at HowStuffWorks.com. She also co-hosts the “Stuff You Missed in History Class” podcast as a convenient excuse to talk about dueling and historical plagues. Katie earned her bachelor's degree in English at the University of Georgia. She spends her free time rearranging her Netflix queue, buying books to read in the park, planning imaginary trips to Morocco and Argentina, and deciding which fantastic restaurant she'll try next.
Josh Clark has wanted to be a professional writer since his third-grade teacher told him a short story he wrote was kind of good. He's written ever since. At HowStuffWorks.com, he's a senior writer and co-host of the Stuff You Should Know podcast. Josh lives with his wife, Umi. The pair really, really enjoys traveling, solving mysteries, having pizza parties and visiting museums (both renowned and obscure). Josh has been to the real-life house that served as the Robin's Nest on "Magnum, P.I." and is on an indefinite hiatus from being a jerk.
As a precocious child growing up in the mountains of North Carolina, Molly Edmonds would often prepare miniature school lessons for her younger brothers. If her brothers didn't want to play school, Molly sat on them to prevent possible escape and continued with her lesson. Fortunately for the readers of HowStuffWorks.com and for the listeners of the "Stuff Mom Never Told You" podcast, Molly has learned over the years that physical harm is not a good way to provide information. A graduate of Emory University, where she majored in creative writing and political science, Molly spends her spare time seeking out good books, live music and people who will cook for her.